‘Dragons Overturn Eels in Controversial Finish Amid Touch Judge Dispute’

The Dragons secured a 34-20 victory over the Eels at WIN Stadium on Saturday evening, although a pivotal try was controversially disallowed.

While the Eels attempted a second-half rally, their efforts fell short despite strong performances from Nathan Lawson and Valentine Holmes, who each scored twice.

A potential equalising try from Sean Russell was ruled out after the touch judge determined that Josh Addo-Carr had stepped out of bounds prior to the play.

“If it’s not out, it’s as close as you could possibly get… that’s just remarkable,” remarked Andrew Voss in his Fox League commentary.

Steve Roach added, “I can’t quite believe that call from the touch judge… he had a player in front of him. How on earth could he have seen it?”

Once a touch judge raises their flag, the Bunker is unable to review the call.

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After the game, Dragons captain Clint Gutherson supported the touch judge’s decision but conceded it looked very tight.

“From where I was standing, it appeared he hadn’t gone out, but the cameras and touch judge saw otherwise,” he said to Fox League. “You need those calls to go your way sometimes, and such moments can be crucial, so we’ll take it.”

In only his third NRL appearance, the former Rugby Sevens player Lawson scored twice in the opening 15 minutes as multiple Dragons players succumbed to injuries.

In a late setback prior to kick-off, Dragons winger Christian Tuipulotu suffered a significant hamstring injury during warm-ups, paving the way for 18th man Lawson.

With just four minutes to prepare for the match, Lawson made an instant impact by scoring the first try within a minute of kick-off.

The Dragons pushed easily through the middle in their initial set before moving the ball wide, allowing Lawson to dash over in the corner for his first NRL try.

Twelve minutes later, he took advantage of another opportunity and scored again as the Dragons started strong.

“What an incredible story,” Voss remarked during the commentary.

In another challenge for Dragons coach Shane Flanagan, Corey Allan and Emre Guler both had to leave the field for head injury assessments in separate incidents, causing a reshuffle, although both later returned.

The Eels struck back in the 22nd minute, with Addo-Carr finishing off a well-executed play.

It seemed the Dragons were unstoppable as they saw scores from Corey Allan, Kyle Flanagan, and Holmes, extending their lead to 26-4 by half-time.

The Dragons’ injury troubles continued as back rower Luciano Leilua exited the game due to a quad injury, leading to a later medical assessment.

Parramatta came out firing after half-time, scoring three consecutive tries from Zac Lomax, Dean Hawkins, and Kelma Tuilagi.

Hamish Stewart left the match early following a category one concussion after he braced for a tackle, resulting in his sidelining for the upcoming game.

With the Dragons’ bench already taxed, Toby Couchman required assistance off the field due to a suspected serious elbow injury, and Viliami Fifita was unable to complete the match.

The result was confirmed when Holmes scored his second try of the evening.

Eels prop Jack Williams was penalised for a high swinging arm during a tackle in the first half, with Kelma Tuilagi and the Dragons’ Kyle Flanagan also noted for their involvement in crusher tackles.